1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fiber optic telecommunications equipment and, in particular, to a bracket that is configured to route and store cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the telecommunications and data transmission industries, optical fibers, rather than metal cables, are increasingly used to transmit signals. The technology uses glass or plastic threads (fibers) to transmit data. A fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages modulated into light waves. Technologies that transmit data over metal cables, rather than fiber optic cables, transmit data in analog form. Fiber optic technology allows data to be transmitted digitally rather than analogically. Fiber optic data transmissions, being digital, are in the natural form for computer-related data.
Optical cable management has become a major concern in the design of telecommunications equipment. Fiber optic cable typically includes at least one glass core for optical, high bandwidth transmission of information. Typically, fiber optic cable requires a minimum bending radius (e.g., a one-inch bending radius) to avoid damaging the glass core and to avoid producing a large dB loss in the transmission of information through the cable. Therefore, optical cabling must be handled and stored carefully to avoid tight bends and kinks in the cabling.
The use of optical fibers to transmit data in the telecommunications industry has grown dramatically in recent years. Newer systems require increasingly large numbers of cables to be efficiently housed in a relatively small space. The cables may include various types of cables such as fiber optic, coaxial, and power cables.
Provision for high-density fiber optic systems has become more necessary as the use of fiber optic cables in the telecommunications industry has increased. By density, it is meant the number of locations per unit volume or unit area for providing connections between fiber optic cables on the chassis. One problem associated with high-density cable management systems is the need to avoid bending of the fiber optic cables in excess of their minimum bending radius. In addition, the high density creates a need for an organizational system that segregates the cables according to their category (i.e., fiber, coaxial, power, etc.).
A cable management bracket comprises a body and a latch bar. The body has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface, which in at least one embodiment corresponds to an outer surface of the bracket, is shaped to form a relatively U-shaped aspect, having parallel first and second edges with a third, perpendicular, edge between them. The second surface, which in at least one embodiment corresponds to an inner surface, is shaped to form two U-shaped receptacles. Each receptacle has a first and second wall, parallel to each other. The first and second walls of each receptacle are perpendicular to a center wall situated between them. The center wall of each aperture is parallel to the third edge of the first (outer) surface of the bracket. At least one of the first walls of the receptacles is shaped to include a latch aperture at its terminating edge. At least one of the second walls of the receptacles is shaped to include a hinge aperture at its terminating edge.